WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO COME HOME TO OURSELVES?
This is a question I ask myself regularly and one that I love to contemplate with others. In this program, I share many of the tools and practices I have gathered to support me over the last 20+ years while I walk the path of my own journey home. This program is open to anyone interested in learning more about how they can nourish a robust sense of inner resilience by working with their nervous system in a deeply embodied way.
Program Dates: January 21st- February 22nd 2024
This program is held online and will be delivered through a mix of pre-recorded online lessons delivered weekly on Sundays and live experiential Zoom sessions on Thursdays at 10 am PST.
All Zoom sessions will be recorded, and participants will have lifetime access to all recordings.
Your one-time purchase of this program gives you lifetime access to all materials, and as an alumni member, you will also be invited to join this program at a discounted rate whenever it runs again.
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from challenges or spring back into shape.
To be resilient does not mean we will be unaffected by difficulty or immune to stress; it simply means we have tools that we can draw on that help us to move through life's challenges in a healthy way. In this five-week program, we will explore a number of tools that can support us in coming back home to ourselves and fostering true resilience.
Some of the tools we will be working with in this program are -
- mindfulness & self-compassion practices
- polyvagal theory & nervous system regulation practices
- yoga & somatic movement practices
- conscious breathwork
You do not need to be interested in these practices to participate in this program, nor do you need to have prior experience with any of these modalities. I have chosen to share the practices that I have been using in my own life for the last two decades but I will offer them to you to explore in your own way. If you have questions or concerns about whether this program will suit you, don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly so we can chat.
My name is Natalie, and I will be your guide.
I am a Relational Somatic Therapist and mindfulness teacher, who is passionate about learning. I have devoted my life to studying yoga, meditation, traditional wellness practices and earth-centred medicine and I believe in the power of personal practice as a means of reclaiming our inherent wisdom. I love nothing more than to support and witness others as they walk their path of remembrance.
Course Curriculum
This is just a short outline of the topics we will explore each week. Classes will be trauma-informed; each session will include an educational component and experiential practice.
Week 1 Coming Home to Ourselves: introduction to polyvagal theory and the concept of nervous system regulation, establishing somatic awareness, coming home to the body, and the practice of embodied presence.
Week 2 Nurturing Safety & Ease: introduction to the concepts of triggers and glimmers, identifying our routes to inner safety, creating our inner sanctuary & developing our internal tracking skills
Week 3 Tend & Befriend: building awareness, turning towards our inner experience, coming to know our parts, & moving from states of protection to states of connection.
Week 4 The Compassionate Heart: introduction to the science of self-compassion & compassion-based practices
Week 5 The Medicine of Connection: developing practices of co-regulation & connection, strengthening our relational skills
Bonus classes:
Hearthtending Rhythms: defining self-care and personal practice (sadhana), exploring the value of daily, monthly or seasonal rituals of personal care.
Deep Nourishment: working with food and plant medicines for resilience, seasonal wisdom for autumn wellness, ancestral nourishment, and connection to place.
COMMON QUESTIONS
HOW WILL THIS PROGRAM BE DELIVERED?
This online program will run for five weeks and be delivered through a mix of pre-recorded and live online classes. Pre-recorded classes will be published on Sundays, providing the theory and experiential practice for the week. Our live classes will be held on Thursday mornings and will focus on experiential practice & group discussion. All live classes will be recorded for later viewing and housed on Teachable.
Live Class Dates (on Zoom):
- Sunday, Jan 21st 5:30-6:30 pm PST Opening Circle
- Thursdays Jan 25th 10-11am PST
On top of the live sessions, you will also get access to -
- guided meditation audio recordings
- supportive handouts
- recipes for seasonal self-care
- resources for further learning
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
Anyone who has an interest in cultivating personalized practices of self-care that support resiliency.
WHAT IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM?
In this program, I will be working with the theme of homecoming as a primary metaphor for looking at our practices of personal ritual and self-care in various ways to come back home to ourselves. This is a metaphor that I have been working with for many years, and I think it can be an especially valuable one to work with during this time of global uncertainty. I will share practices and teachings that I have found to be helpful and supportive in my own life, and I will support you in making these practices your own. I want this program to feel like a conversation that you can engage with, taking whatever feels valuable as inspiration and leaving behind anything that does not resonate in your own life at this moment.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
I will share several different practices and teachings with you. What you take away from them will be unique to you. I hope you will learn how you can nourish your own sense of inner resiliency & wellness, specific to your life situation at this time.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED SUPPORT?
This program includes one live class on Zoom each week where you can ask questions and receive support. If you cannot make a session live or have a question you prefer to ask anonymously, you will also be given my email to send your questions to me directly. If I feel there is a need I will also schedule an Office Hours session for the group, a live Zoom session where we can focus on Q&A.
WHAT TIME ARE THE LIVE CLASSES AT AND ARE THEY RECORDED?
All live classes will be held on Zoom and recorded for later viewing. The live classes for the Winter 2024 program will be held on -
- Sunday, Jan 21st 5:30-6:30 pm PST Opening Circle
- Thursdays Jan 25th 10-11am PST
WHEN DOES THE COURSE START AND FINISH?
This program begins on Jan 21st and runs until Feb 22nd 2024
HOW LONG DO I HAVE ACCESS TO THE COURSE?
After the course is finished you will have continued access to the material.
I'VE NEVER DONE AN ONLINE COURSE BEFORE. WHAT DO I NEED?
You will need a computer or tablet device and an internet connection to log into Teachable, where this course is housed, and access the video /audio files there.
WHAT TYPE OF MOVEMENT PRACTICES WILL YOU BE TEACHING?
Since this is an online program and participants will be coming to practice with varying needs and abilities, I will endeavour to make the movement practices as accessible as possible. I am interested in somatic movement practices to explore embodiment rather than the performance of specific shapes or forms. I will do my best to support you in this exploration using the tools at my disposal. This means that the movement practices will include enough guided instruction to help you feel supported and the invitation to modify, adjust, or express each movement in your own unique way.
Scholarships & Sliding Scale Pricing
Scholarship options and sliding scale pricing are available for those facing financial hardship.
To apply for one of these spots, please email me directly at [email protected].
Course Begins
January 21st, 2024
I hope that you will join me for this special offering, and I look forward to the conversations we will have together as we trace our way back home to ourselves.
— Natalie
